Detroit Residency: Sara Miller

“I was very lucky to be granted a music residency in Detroit this summer spending two months living and working in the Motor City. Eternal gratitude goes to Music Board Berlin and the Detroit Berlin connection for this incredible life-changing opportunity. I will never forget it!

I went to Detroit not knowing what to expect and found that I was welcomed so wholeheartedly by everyone I met. To be received so warmly into such an incredible community is something I will never take for granted.

Having the chance to develop my artistic practice in the birthplace of Techno and Motown, and in a building as significant as Submerge, is a privilege I deeply cherish. The experience was so enriching and has had a lasting impact on me, empowering me to dig deeper to find my artistic voice and pursue a sustainable artistic practice.

Conversations and experiences I’ve had in Detroit have inspired me to seek out a different way of existing as an artist, unlearning textbook ways of navigating a music career & learning new methods for creation and community building. Choosing to put music first and
~pointing myself in the direction of my dreams, finding my strength in the sound and making my transition~

From studio sessions at Submerge with my residency partner Shawescape, to daily kitchen chats with Mike, from late night Coney’s with my 2990 family to DJ sets at Spkrbox, attending Tectroit and joyful intergenerational house music parties at The Congregration, it all meant so much to me.

Detroit is a magical place. Community actually means something there and to witness that was very special. There’s an incredibly high bar for music & the talent from the innovators to the next generation is truly mindblowing. There’s a distinct lack of ego at play, with everyone supporting each other with mutual respect & generosity of spirit.”

Sara Miller recaps her Detroit Residency in an Instagram post.